Just Enough Time
by UpspokenWords
Summary: What if Mello changed his name, and lived, but Matt still died? What if Matt decided to haunt Mello, until he "finishes what he has to do"? Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. **_

_**A/N: Thank you for reading Just Enough Time! I hope you all enjoy it! For Matt, I depict him with red hair and green eyes, despite what his official hair/eye colors are. Again, thank you for reading. **_

_**Just Enough Time**_

_**Chapter One**_

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><p>Mello was driving down a dark deserted road in a large truck. In the back, he had one of the most famous and influential women of the day: Kiyomi Takada. His destination was a small church an hour's drive from Tokyo. If all went well, this would solidify Near's case against Light Yagami. Mello's eyes were calm and focused on the road in front of him. One when the mini-television caught his attention did Mello allow himself to be distracted. A man in a suit, whom Mello recognized as the local news anchor, was at a desk. "As for the suspect who was gunned down earlier, we still are unable to identify him." Mello's previously cold blue eyes softened. 'Matt. I never thought you'd be killed.' Mello watched as the screen changed to show a picture of a bullet-filled Red Camaro <em><strong>(AN: Matt's car)**_. 'I'm sorry.' Regret and guilt filled the blonde's gut as he grew closer to the church. Matt was not supposed to be injured, let alone die; he was only supposed to be a distraction and then meet Mello at the church safely.

Due to the eerie silence, Mello could hear every noise Takada made in the trunk. He heard the distinct crinkle of paper, along with the scratching of graphite. Mentally keeping time, Mello waited for the Death Note to "kill" him. So Mello had guessed correctly; Kira did know his name and face. Thank God he had taken the necessary precautions. Two days prior, the blonde had legally changed his first name to Misha Kal (though he would change back to Mihael Keehl back once everything settled down). If things went according to plan, Mello would be able to fake his own death.

'34…35…36…' With only seconds left to pull this off, Mello increased his pressure on the gas pedal. He had to make sure Takada fell for his stunt. '38…39…40!' Reaching the count of forty seconds, Mello crashed into a garage-like alcove attached to the church. Glass shattered and Mello fell forward. His head hit the steering wheel, and Mello collapsed onto it. Relaxing his body, Mello waited for Takada to make her move.

Sure enough, he heard the woman call someone. She was speaking softly, obviously upset, so Mello could not hear everything she was saying. He only caught the last line she said to the person on the other line. "Light, come save me." She sounded like she was crying, so Mello took the opportunity to stealthily sneak out of the truck. He was in the middle of the nook when he heard a voice. "Hello?" It was a man's voice, and Mello saw the beam of a flashlight turn in his direction. Mello turned quickly and was faced with a middle aged man. He was wearing a uniform and had a mop and flashlight in hand. 'He must have been hired by the church to clean the place.'

Mello did not have much time; police officers would be flocking to the place now that they knew where Takada was. With indifferent, uncaring eyes, Mello pulled out his gun and shot the man in the chest in cold blood. Quickly and quietly, Mello placed the corpse in the driver's seat. Now the police would figure this man had committed Mello's crime. Grabbing the cross around his neck, Mello ran away from the scene. Once ten yards away from the stone building, said edifice went up in flames. Fire licked at the structure's walls and roof as smoke flooded the atmosphere. Police cars and news crews alike flocked the area, along with a few cars that seemed to be passing by. One in particular, Mello recognized immediately. A blonde with shoulder-length hair stepped out of the car, a genuinely shocked expression on her face. Mello quickly hid behind nearby cars and trees. Once next to the car and within earshot of the woman, Mello whispered harshly. "Halle. We have to get out of here. Now." Said woman gasped and turned around quickly. She opened her mouth to say something but Mello was already stepping into the backseat. Halle, managing to compose herself, stepped into the driver's seat. Once shutting the door behind her, Halle started the car and drove away. "We're going back to Near." Mello growled in indignation. Halle spoke in an indifferent, strict tone, not intimidated by the leather-clad man. "We need to keep you out of sight for the time being, so bear with it." Mello huffed, but remained silent for the next hour. The pressing silence allowed the chocoholic's mind to wander, which only caused the gnawing guilt in his gut to intensify.

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><p>Upon reaching the SPK headquarters, Halle and Mello quickly entered the building and took the elevator to the top floor. When the doors opened, Mello felt sick to his stomach in anger. The last, and only, time he had entered this room was to retrieve his photo from the white-haired boy. Near was sitting in front of a wall filled with screens and monitors. Some were playing various news stations, while others depicted surveillance shots of the building and of an empty warehouse <em><strong>(AN: The warehouse that Light and Near are supposed to meet, in case you were wondering)**_. "Halle. Mello." Near addressed the two of them without looking up; he appeared to be playing with several finger puppets on the floor. "Good to see you. I'm grateful that you helped me. Now I have the final missing piece of the puzzle."

Mello grit his teeth and pulled out his gun. He aimed it at the young boy's head as a rush of deja-vu washed over him. "Damn it Near, I'm not some pawn you can use as you please!" Like before, the team of SPK members all drew their guns and aimed them at Mello. Halle tried to calm Mello down and reason with him. "Mello, put your gun down. What good is it if you both are dead?" Scowling, Mello un-cocked his gun and put it back in its holster. Near, unaffected by the sudden display of violence, continued. "Either way, it is thanks to you and Matt that we will finally take down Kira." As he said this, Near knocked down a creepy freckled puppet over. Mello felt his stomach drop at the sound of his best friend's name. His blind rage subsided to make room for his remorse. "What happened to him?" Halle chose this moment to speak up. "Near sent a team to retrieve his body. We're planning a funeral for him as well." Mello gripped his rosary as he murmured a vague response. Halle looked over to him with sympathy. "You've been through a lot; why don't you rest here tonight? We'll figure out what to do next in the morning." Mello nodded, too physically and emotionally exhausted to object. Halle led him to a spare room and gave him a change of clothes. Once he was situated, Halle smiled at him gently before closing the door behind her.

Flopping down on the queen sized bed, Mello felt completely spent. However his endless guilt kept him up, as it often did. The faces of his family, Matt, and the innumerable people he had killed throughout his life flooded his brain. For hours, Mello tossed and turned, praying that his suffering would halt just long enough for him to sleep. When the blonde finally succumbed to his fatigue, his dreams were filled with curses and accusations from a certain goggle-wearing male.

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><p><em><strong>AN: I hope you liked this chapter. The actual plot will start next chapter. Any thoughts or comments? Please review! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. **_

_**A/N: Thank you for reading Just Enough Time! I hope you all enjoy it! For Matt, I depict him with red hair and green eyes, despite what his official hair/eye colors are. Again, thank you for reading. **_

_**Just Enough Time**_

_**Chapter Two**_

Mello awoke to the feeling of a weight at the end of his bed. Although conscious, Mello did not open his eyes; if Halle wanted to tell him something, she would have to wait. Time passed and Halle did not speak nor move. Patience wearing thin, the blonde's eyes snapped open and he sat up suddenly. "What the fuck do you want Halle? Can't you see I'm-" Mello's voice died in his throat at the sight of the figure at the end of his bed. Instead of the suit-wearing blonde woman he was expecting, Mello was staring at the back of a certain red haired, goggle-wearing nineteen-year-old. When he regained his ability to speak, Mello spoke skeptically. After all, how could this be possible? "Matt?" Said gamer turned and faced the blonde. "Hey Mel." Leaning over to smack the man's arm, Mello spoke without any real anger in his voice. "Don't call me that." Mello's eyes widened as he touched Matt's arm again. "Matt? But this isn't possible. You're…you're dead." Matt flopped down on the bed. "Yep, I'm dead. Only you can see me." Mello's eyes narrowed, incredulous. "So what? You're a ghost or something?" Matt nodded, smiling. "Cool, isn't it?" Mello sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his eyelids. He was going crazy. That was the only logical explanation. But if he was crazy, why not humor himself? "So is there any reason why you're here Matt? Shouldn't you have passed onto the afterlife or whatever?"

Mello opened his eyes and saw Matt shrug. "I was supposed to, but there was something I had to do first. As soon as it's done, I'll be out of your hair for good." Curiosity getting the best of him, Mello looked at Matt expectantly. "And what is that?" He saw a flicker of hesitation in Matt's eyes, as he saw Matt open his mouth to answer… _knock knock_. "Mello? Are you okay? Who are you talking to?" It was Halle's voice, sounding slightly concerned. Turning to look at the door, Mello called out to her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking out loud. I'll be out in a minute." He heard her agree before her footsteps faded away. Turning back to Matt, Mello locked eyes with him. "You were saying?" Clearly uncomfortable with the topic, Matt got up and started to wander about the room. "Pretty nice room Mel. Near was pretty nice to give it to you." Mello snapped angrily, "Little bastard wasn't being nice. He only did it to settle his debt." As Mello got dressed into his normal leather attire, he took a quick glance around the room. He didn't take much notice of it the day before; it was a spacious room with a queen-sized bed, a wardrobe, a table and two chairs, and a TV. Not bad, not bad at all. Taking a chocolate bar out of his pocket, Mello snapped a chunk off of it. Mello turned towards the door, about to leave. With his hand on the doorknob, Mello turned back at Matt, pointing at him. "We're not done talking about this. I'll be back." Matt, akin to a dog not wanting to be left alone, ran to his side. "What are you talking about? I'm going with you." Before Mello could protest, Matt already flung the door open and started making his way down the hallway.

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><p>It was a curious thing, to say the least. Mello often heard ghost stories and superstitions, but he never actually believed them. Who would have thought that he would be experiencing one? Not only that, but the myths about ghosts that Mello had heard as a child did not seem to be true. Like how ghosts could walk through walls and looked as they had when they died. Matt could interact with the world. He could open doors, knock things over, turn on lights. He did not look any different; he had the same white and black striped shirt on, and his body showed no sign of injury or damage. He was basically alive, save for the fact that no one could see or hear him (except for Mello). Now the goal was to find out why Matt was here, and to do so without looking like a clinically-insane person.<p>

Mello followed Matt to the main room of the SPK; the wall of screens still depicted the same things as the day before. Actually, the whole room did not seem to change much, besides the Lego tower Near was building in the center of the room. When she saw Mello, Halle stood up and greeted him. Leading him over to a table, she motioned him to sit down. "Near has some things to talk to you about." Sitting and crossing his arms, Mello waited for the albino to speak, while watching Matt from the corner of his eye. The redhead idly walked around the room, watching the different monitors. Near spoke up, which caused Mello to turn his attention back to the topic at hand. "Mello, as you are already aware, I am meeting Light Yagami in two days. I would guess that you would like to attend as well." Before Mello could speak up, Near continued. "However, I do not feel this is the wisest of moves. Yagami will be accompanied by several Japanese police officers and, although you are against Kira, they will most likely arrest you for the kidnapping and murder of Kiyomi Takada." Mello kept quiet, not liking where this conversation was going. "As a result, I have prepared for you a flight to the United States. I recently acquired a house in Vermont. It's in a small town, so I doubt that you will find any trouble there. You are welcome to stay there until I regain complete control over the Japanese police, and extinguish any pro-Kira organizations. Do you find this agreeable?" Mello scowled; he did not like being treated like a child who needed to be kept safe. "I don't need your help Near. I can handle myself." Near smiled, amused. "Oh? And what will happen when you leave this place? Kira and his supporters will be hunting you down." Mello's eyes narrowed into slits. "I can handle it." Matt looked away from the screens after hearing Mello's tone. A man with dark hair, who was listening to their conversation, snapped at Mello. "Is that what you told Matt before you sent him to his death?" The immediate effect was electric; Halle stood up, shocked at what Gevanni had said, Mello stood up and pulled out his gun, and Gevanni was also on his feet, gun in hand. Matt ran over to Mello standing in front of him, arms spread. "Don't shoot, Mel. Come on, calm down." Looking past Matt, all of Mello's anger and hatred was directed at the Japanese man. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Huh?" Halle ran over to Gevanni, trying to unarm him. "Gevanni, stop it. Think of what you're saying." However, her pleas fell onto deaf ears.

"All I'm saying is that whenever you are involved in anything, innocent people get hurt! When you were in the mafia, when you blew up that warehouse, with kidnapping Takada, how many people did you kill? All those times, I bet you said you 'could handle it'." Mello cocked his gun. "I'll count to three, so you better take that back." Despite Mello's threat, Gevanni looked challengingly at the blonde as he counted. "One…" Mello steadied his hand. 'Two…" He aimed. "Three…" Mello pulled the trigger; however what he wasn't expecting was for Matt to push his hand so that, instead of firing at Gevanni, Mello fired at the wall next to him. Thankfully the bullet hole was only a foot away from the man's head, so it seemed that Mello had missed on purpose. Near, hearing the commotion, finally decided to speak up. "Gentlemen, there is no need for violence. Please put your guns away." Begrudgingly, Gevanni and Mello put their guns back in their respective holsters. Mello sat back down, glaring at Gevanni one last time, before turning his attention to Near. "If I were to go to the United States, how long would you say I would have to stay there?" Near twirled his snow white hair with his finger. "I would say a minimum of three months. If I need you to stay there longer, I will contact you." Mello scowled, for he did not want to listen to Near like some obedient child. However, his alternative would be more dangerous and much more complicated. Sighing in defeat, Mello nodded. "When should I leave?" Clearly satisfied that Mello was listening to him, Near moved the different finger puppets around the floor. "As soon as you can." Mello's scowl deepened as he stormed off to his room, with Matt following behind him.

Once back in the privacy of his room, Mello turned to the redhead. "What was that?" Matt rolled his eyes. "I couldn't exactly let you put a bullet through that guy's head, you know." Mello grumbled. "You _could_ have." Without waiting for Matt to respond, Mello turned to look around the room. He came back to the room to pack, but in his hotheadedness, he forgot that he did not have any possessions to pack. All of his belongings were either destroyed or left behind at his old apartment. He only had the clothes on his back, the rosary around his neck, and the few chocolate bars in his pockets. Mello sighed and sat down on the bed. "So what are _you_ going to do?" Matt looked over to the blonde in surprise. "What do you mean? I'm going with you, of course." The chocoholic scoffed at this, a slight smile on his face. "Of course you are." Throwing the door open, Mello strutted down the hallway and opened the door to the stairs. Walking up the one flight of stairs, with Matt close behind, the blonde opened the door to the roof. A gust of chill winter air hit him, but Mello ignored it and walked over to the plane. A private jet, no doubt another display of Near's extensive wealth. Boarding the plane, Matt pushed past Mello and sat down happily by the window. Rolling his eyes at the redhead, Mello sat on the chair next to him. He rested his head on his hand, idly glancing out the window. Matt turned to the leather-wearing man, clearly having fun. "Excited Mel?"

Mello bit back a sarcastic response, but did not bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice. "Ecstatic." Both men felt the plane begin to move, and mentally prepared themselves for what was to come.

_**A/N: Thoughts or comments? Please review! Thank you for reading!**_

_**A side note: I will not update this fic as often as I had with Numbered Days. I am participating in NaNoWriMo, so that will take up the majority of my time for the time being. However, I will still try to update as soon as I can. Again, thank you for reading :)  
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	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. **_

_**A/N: Thank you for reading Just Enough Time! I hope you all enjoy it! For Matt, I depict him with red hair and green eyes, despite what his official hair/eye colors are. Again, thank you for reading. **_

_**Just Enough Time**_

_**Chapter Three**_

After several hours on a plane, the two of them landed in Vermont. A man greeted them at the airport and drove them to the house Near had bought. It was a small, nothing town; there were woods everywhere and the place did not have more than a dozen small shops. The house itself was on the outskirts of town, away from any prying eyes. The driver, an elderly man, dropped Mello off, and wished him well. (The driver was oblivious to Matt's presence, for only Mello could see him.)

The house was large, a mansion really. Mello grumbled not-so-quietly about how this whole set-up was just a way for Near to flaunt his wealth. Placing his bags in the entry hall, Mello and Matt observed the interior. The entry hall was spacious and there was a staircase that led upstairs. Matt, being curious, travelled up the stairs and explored the second floor. Meanwhile, Mello looked around the ground floor; there was a fully stocked kitchen, a living room with a television set, and another sitting room. The peculiar thing was that the other sitting room had a piano in the corner. It surprised Mello that Near would think to put something like that in the house. Shrugging it off, Mello went upstairs to find Matt.

The redhead was in one of the two bedrooms. (Why there were two bedrooms, when Near knew that only Mello would be staying there, was beyond him.) This room had windows that made up the majority of the ceiling, and when Mello walked in, the gamer was sprawled on the bed, staring at the sky. Matt vaguely noticed the blonde's presence, which only annoyed Mello. Knocking him on the head, Mello called out to Matt like a kid. "Hello? Anyone home?" Matt looked up at Mello through his orange lenses and grunted in response. Rolling his blue eyes, Mello sat down on the bed next to Matt. A comfortable silence fell upon them and Mello felt his thoughts begin to wander. Why was Matt here? He was, you know, dead after all? Weren't dead people's spirits supposed to go to Heaven or Hell, depending on the life they lived? Mello unconsciously clutched the cross around his neck. "Why are you here Matt?" The words left Mello's mouth without him realizing it; to anyone else, it would have sounded tired and irritated, but to Matt, it was just the way Mello spoke sometimes. Without looking at the other, the redhead shrugged and continued to look up at the sky. "I don't know." Mello accepted this, for he was not in the mood to have a deep philosophical discussion. Instead, he decided to satisfy his curiosity. "Hey Matt, does it hurt to die?"

It was a curious question, but Matt could hear the slight fearful undertone. Keeping his nonchalant tone, Matt spoke in his usual calm voice. "Eh, not really. I mean, it just felt like I was passing out. I got cold and numb, and then the next thing I knew, I was above my body." Mello got really quiet as the guilt of his best friend's death seemed to grow heavier and heavier. It didn't help that Matt did not seem to mind being dead! He acted as if it was no big deal…like dying for him was actually worth it.

Normally Matt would have joked that dying hurt like a bitch (or at least, having twenty bullets shot at you did), but when he glanced at Mello's face, he saw the heavy sadness on the blonde's face. Instead, he gave a less sarcastic answer, hoping to reassure Mello that his death had not pained him. However as the silence dragged on, Matt saw that his response had done the opposite. "Hey, Mel. You know I-" He was cut off by the sound of Mello's phone ringing. Looking at the caller ID, Mello made a face akin to disgust. Flipping the device open, Mello put the phone to his ear. "What is it Near?" Matt only heard the one side of the conversation so, naturally, Matt began to tap Mello's arm like a child. "What is Near saying? Mel? Mel, what's he's saying? Mel? Mel?" Mello hit the gamer's hand and glared at him, silently telling him to stop. Turning his attention back to his phone call, Mello gave quick answers. "Yeah? ... No….Yes, I'm sure….Here is fine….Okay. Bye." Hanging up the phone and slipping it back into his leather jacket pocket, Mello's blue eyes met Matt's. "That was Near…arranging your funeral." Matt shifted uncomfortably. "Oh….And?"

Mello feigned nonchalance as he stretched. "Nothing really. He asked if there was a certain place where you would want to be buried, and I said no." Matt did not deny this, so Mello continued. "I'm having you buried here." Matt sat up and stared at Mello. "Here? Like…in this town, here? Why?" Mello lightly traced the pattern that was on the bed cover as he spoke. "Yeah. I don't know…I just…I don't want you buried in England or Japan." Matt, still confused about the blonde's reasoning, urged him on. "Because…?" Mello dropped his voice to a whisper, as if saying it too loudly would hurt him somehow. "You deserve to be buried someplace where you didn't get hurt…"

Matt's eyes widened in surprise at Mello's words. "I mean, I get the whole Japan thing but what happened in England? I mean, I met you there after all." He added a small smile, but it was not returned. Instead, Mello scowled and his eyes darkened with an emotion Matt didn't recognize. Standing up and making his way to the door, Mello swung the door open. "You know very well what I mean Matt. Do you have a bitter bone in your body?" Without waiting for a response, Mello slammed the door and made his way to the other bedroom.

Once Mello's footsteps faded away, and Matt heard a door slam shut, did he let out a sigh. Of course he was bitter about England. How else do you feel when that's the place where your best friend leaves you without a word for three years? But how could Matt say that? How could he bring up something so painful for him and Mello both? Sure, Mello had never actually said he was sorry, but actions always speak louder than words. Why would he intentionally hurt the blonde? Why would he when….when he had something to do….

Meanwhile, Mello was on his bed, staring out the window. His room had two walls were made up of windows, which gave him a nice view of the forest. Well, at least, as nice as a view of a forest could be. Sighing in aggravation, Mello lied on his back. Closing his eyes and draping his arm over them, Mello let out another sigh. God, he just wanted to get out of here….or at least for Matt to just…pass on, or whatever.

Even though Matt was Mello's best friend and the fact that Mello liked having the redhead around, Mello couldn't help but feel that having Matt around only made him feel worse.

_**A/N: Thoughts or comments? Please review! Thank you for reading!**_

_**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WAITING SO PATIENTLY! I have been busy with school and my NaNo, so I haven't had that much time to write fanfics. Thanks again to reading and I hoped you liked it!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. **_

_**A/N: Thank you for reading Just Enough Time! I hope you all enjoy it! For Matt, I depict him with red hair and green eyes, despite what his official hair/eye colors are. Again, thank you for reading. **_

_**I'm so sorry for not updating! Life, school, and other writing projects are taking up my time. I'll try to write this more often… Thanks for understanding.**_

_**Just Enough Time**_

_**Chapter Four**_

For the first few days, Matt was bored to death. He didn't exactly have much to do, seeing as there were no video game consoles in the house. He had also gone through his case of cigarettes in two days. Instead, Matt picked up the habit of reading. Sure, he had never been much of a reader, but that didn't mean he didn't like it. The house had a large room with shelves of books. The selection ranged from nonfiction, to mystery novels, to fantasy, to horror. (Mello found it rather amusing when Matt had read a horror story and screamed when Mello had come into the room without making a sound.) Despite the circumstances of being dead, Matt was content. He was able to be with Mello a little longer, and that was enough for him.

The days passed by slowly, without much happening. The blonde and gamer would relax in the large house, but hardly spoke. Mello was unusually quiet, while Matt did not see the point in striking conversation; if Mello wanted to talk, he would. Matt didn't see the point in pestering him. Besides, a quiet Mello is preferred over an irritated one. The days blended into one another, and the only sense of time they had was the occasional call from Near or Halle.

Mello was the one to be the one most affected by, well, everything. Sure, he loved having Matt around, but it didn't exactly thrill him either. Like he needed a constant reminder that he killed his best friend. Normally Mello would be unbelievably irritated and would be blowing up at the smallest of acts, but he couldn't bring himself to. It was like years upon years of stress were finally catching up with him…

One afternoon (a week since the duo's arrival to Vermont), Mello and Matt were sitting in the living room. Mello was sitting in the armchair eating chocolate as always, while Matt was lying across the couch reading. Seeing what time it was, Mello stood up suddenly. He travelled up to his room and opened his closet. There were several articles of clothing, 99% of them being made of leather. However, there were a handful of items that were made of actual cloth: a white button down shirt, a black tie, and black dress pants. Changing into these clothes, Mello frowned at himself in the mirror. _Might as well get this over with._

Walking downstairs again, the blonde went by the couch Matt was lying on. Hitting him lightly on the head, he ordered, "Get up. We're going." Matt dog-eared the page he was on (A/N: I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE DO THIS. Anyway…) and shut the book. Looking up to the blonde, Matt's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Where are we going?" Mello turned so that his back was to the redhead. "Your funeral."

(line break)

The day before, Near had called Mello and informed him that he, along with a few other SPK members, were boarding a flight to Vermont. They were bringing Matt's ashes (for they had him cremated) so he could have a proper burial. This thought, however, only irritated Mello. _Why were they coming? They didn't even know Matt._

The driver from the week before had picked Mello (and Matt) and drove him (them) to the cemetery. It was small and very quaint. Kinda picturesque, but seemed appropriate. The cemetery was empty, save for the handful of people that decided to attend the gamer's funeral. Mello and Matt got out of the car and walked in silence to the group. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that five people had made the trip. Near, Halle, Gevanni, Stephen, and, surprisingly, Roger. Mello's eyes widened at the sight of their old caretaker, while Matt kept looking back and forth between Roger and Mello. "Mello, look! Roger's here. He's actually here! I always thought he didn't like me, but look at that! He's really here."

Roger looked over to Mello and gave him a sad smile. "Good to see you again Mello." Mello, uncomfortable, gave a vague, mumbled response. Everyone exchanged hellos, until Near spoke up. He was the one who was standing next to the grave, a casket next to it. "We should begin." Everyone quieted down and gave solemn nods. All of them said prayers in Matt's honor, and as the almost empty casket was being lowered into the ground, each of them said a few words. Stephen and Gevanni said something along the lines of how brave Matt had been. Halle, with a tear in her eye, commented on how loyal Matt was. Roger chuckled sadly and told a story of a young redhead arriving at Wammy's house. He also added a few words on how Matt had his life ahead of him, but he was in a better place now. Near, being straight forward and a man of few words, simply thanked Matt for his help. All of them looked expectantly at Mello and his words for his best friend.

However, Mello did not have any words for Matt, but rather for the group of people around him. _Hypocrites. How can they say all these "wonderful" things about Matt? They don't know him. They don't know what his favorite game is, or how he takes his coffee. They don't know his stupid quirks or the things that tick him off. But here they are, grieving over how young the gamer was, and how he had his whole life ahead of him. Did they ever try to include themselves in the redhead's life? No. They all left him alone. Only now that he's dead do they care to notice him. Damned hypocrites, every last one of them. _Only when Matt nudged his side did Mello realize that everyone was waiting on him. Refusing to look at Matt directly, Mello stared at the pure white tombstone.

"You and I went through a lot of crazy shit together, didn't we? Half of the time, I don't know how we got through." A small, barely there smile graced his face. "You were always there for me, weren't you." A sentence, not a question. "You always had my back. You were…my best friend. My equal. You never let me down. You were always right there beside me. I took you for granted, but you still stuck by me." He cleared his throat, trying not to get choked up. Hell, why was he getting so emotional? The gamer was right here, beside him. _But he deserves a proper goodbye from me…_ "Thank you, Mail Matthew Jeevas, for being the only person who I could tolerate." His smile widened slightly as he said this, and everyone around him cracked small smiles of their own. After these words, Gevanni and Stephen began to shovel dirt over the grave. After the hole was filled, the group all put white lilies on the grave. Matt smiled and hugged each person, although none of them could feel Matt's action. All of them stared down at the tombstone. Everyone but Mello spoke in unison. "Rest in peace."

Afterward, every person tried to speak with Mello and try to offer some sort of support. They all knew how close Mello was to Matt and all felt bad that the blonde had lost the only person who was ever close to him. Despite their kind words, Mello remained silent and ignored them. He didn't need to hear any of this. He didn't want their pity. All he wanted was to go back to the house and pretend none of this ever happened. After seeing that none of their actions were getting through to the chocoholic, they all gave Mello a pat on the shoulder and left to go back home. The sun was beginning to set at this point and a light breeze ruffled Mello's blonde hair. Matt, who for the most part, had been silent the whole afternoon, threw his arm over the blonde's shoulder. "Let's go back Mel." Said person nodded mutely and went back to the car.

The drive back to the house was quiet and Mello refused to look at the gamer. They walked inside the house and into the kitchen. Mello was leaning against the counter as Matt was standing by the table. Only when a tense silence formed did Matt attempt to speak to Mello. "Did you really mean all of that?" Mello, taking off his tie, shrugged. "Who knows." Matt smiled widely and started jumping around like a little kid. "Aw, Mel has a soft spot. Mello has a soft spot~" He sing-songed over and over. Mello, feeling a headache coming on, threw his shoe at Matt, effectively hitting him in the back. Anger spread across him like wildfire. "Oi, knock it off, will you? Shouldn't you be at least somewhat affected by all this? We were just at your goddamn funeral!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Mello instantly regretted them.

Whenever Mello's temper got the better of him, Matt would simply shrug it off and continue with his life. However this time, Matt didn't do anything. He just stood there with his back to Mello, eerily silent. Mello watched Matt carefully, anxiety keeping him from saying anything. How would Matt react to this…? Mello saw Matt's shoulders slump ever so slightly and his arms move. Rushing over to the gamer's side, Mello saw that Matt was crying. Not even just a few tears, but actually crying. Tears were streaming down his face, and his goggles were pushed up so that Matt could try to wipe his eyes. Internally panicking, Mello rubbed Matt's shoulder. "Hey now, I'm sorry. Listen I didn't mean it. Come on." Mello saw that his words had no effect on the redhead and wished that he were more capable of soothing him. Deciding that standing in the middle of the kitchen wasn't the best move, Mello wrapped his arm around the redhead's shoulder. He slowly led him to the living room, and they sat on the couch next to each other.

Matt, at this point, was trying desperately to stop his crying and brush this whole ordeal off. Although his tears continued to fall and refused to stop, as if a dam had been broken. He leaned his head against Mello's shoulder, curling up against him like a child. They sat there for a while, until Matt's breathing returned to a normal rhythm. Mello looked over at Matt, only to discover that the redhead had fallen asleep. He smiled slightly at his friend's behavior. _Just like a kid._ Actually, Mello himself felt his eyelids begin to feel heavy. Feeling his consciousness begin to fade, Mello subconsciously pulled the gamer closer to him. They would talk about this the next day, but at this time, this was enough. And like that, the duo fell asleep in each other's arms.

_**A/N: Thoughts or comments? Please review! Thank you for reading!**_

_**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WAITING SO PATIENTLY! I have been busy with school, life and my novel, so I haven't had that much time to write fanfics. Thanks again to reading and I hoped you liked it!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. **_

_**A/N: Thank you for reading Just Enough Time! I hope you all enjoy it! For Matt, I depict him with red hair and green eyes, despite what his official hair/eye colors are. Again, thank you for reading. **_

_**Also: I know how slow my updates are. I apologize to those who have been waiting so patiently. I will try to update faster. Because of my significant lack of interest in this pairing (I have been obsessing over a different pairing in a different fandom), I will be ending this fic much sooner than anticipated. I expect two or three more chapters, but then it will be completed. Thank you so much for understanding.**_

_**This chapter may not be very good and/or choppy. I wrote this in a rush while at school.**_

_**Just Enough Time**_

_**Chapter Five**_

Matt was the first to wake up; as he opened his eyes, light from the windows blinded him. Rubbing his sore eyes, Matt looked at his surroundings. _Huh. Looks like I fell asleep on the couch…_ Looking to his right, Matt physically jumped in shock. Low and behold, Mello was fast asleep beside him, arms wrapped around Matt's waist. Feeling his face grow warm, Matt eased himself out of Mello's grip and walked to the bathroom.

As he looked in the mirror, memories of the previous night came flooding back. The funeral…and his breakdown. Sighing heavily, Matt took a good look at his reflection. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, his red locks were messy and disheveled (or at least more than usual), and he was white as a sheet. _Great. Don't I look great._ Taking a deep breath, Matt splashed some cold water on his face. A rock of nerves settled in the pit of his stomach. Today. He would have to tell the blonde everything today. The reason why he was here…and everything that went along with it. There wasn't any more time to put it off. This was it. Solidifying his resolve, Matt wiped his face and opened the door.

Matt left the bathroom, head held high. But when he saw the leather-clad man just feet from him, all the courage he managed to muster faded away. It was obvious that Mello was waiting for him, for when Matt stepped aside, the blonde made no effort to enter the bathroom. The tension was clear, but neither party wished to speak first. If he wasn't so nervous, Matt would find Mello's new found quietness to be funny. Deciding that putting it off would only make their situation worse, Matt cleared his throat. "W-we need to talk." He mentally cursed at himself for stuttering. Mello, whether noticing the redhead's speech impediment or not, nodded mutely. Matt could practically see the gears turning in the blonde genius's head. The two wandered into the kitchen, and completely avoided the living room. Matt guess that the chocoholic was ashamed and embarrassed at their earlier sleeping arrangements. Feeling slightly hurt at the thought, Matt took a seat at the table, with his companion doing the same.

Silence surrounded them which did nothing to ease the gamer's anxiety. Meanwhile Mello was sitting quietly, surprisingly patient. His blue eyes met Matt's, coaxing the other to speak. Curiosity was burning in his eyes, which didn't help Matt at all. Unable to hold his gaze, Matt looked down at the table and started tracing patterns on the wood. "When you woke up back at SPK, you asked me why I was here. I never told you…" Mello rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I was kinda there. I remember. And?" A small smile appeared on Matt's face as he continued. "I said that there was something I had to do…Part of it is for you…and the other part is for me." Taking a deep breath, Matt spoke his next words with great difficulty. "I can't pass on without knowing you'll be okay."

A laugh sounded in the air, which caused Matt to look up at Mello in surprise. "You really think I wouldn't be okay? Man Matt, you're so dumb. I'm not like you, you know. I don't get all hung up on the past and all that shit." Mello waved his hand in the air, as if dismissing the whole subject. Matt's smile faded as he looked sadly at the blonde. His voice was quiet, or at least, it was compared to Mello's. "Don't lie. Whether you admit it or not, my…death…did affect you. I need to know that you'll be able to live on without me." Again, Mello scoffed. "You make it sound like I would kill myself. Honestly Matt, you think the stupidest stuff." Matt scowled, and his eyes narrowed. "You know that's not what I meant. I know you Mel. Knowing you, you would coop yourself up in your house. Never go out. Your life would be your job. You wouldn't have friends. You would die alone." He scowled more, if it were possible. "You would be like L."

Mello snapped at this. "What do you mean? L was the greatest detective in the world! He was Number One! He was my idol! Who wouldn't want to be like him?" Matt remained calm as Mello shouted at him. His tone was even, but held a bite of bitterness. "Me. I wouldn't want to be like that. Dying alone, Mel? Does that _really_ sound good to you? It just sounds sad to me." Mello rose to his feet, hands clenched into fists. "Shut up! You don't know anything! You were just Number Three! You didn't stand a chance being L anyway! You don't understand!" At this point, Mello was shaking with anger. The redhead looked at his friend sadly, almost pityingly. "No. I don't understand. I don't know why you and Near have worked yourselves to the bone to become the next L. I don't know why you have almost killed yourself to become a copy of someone else. I never understood that, and you know what? I never want to."

Matt crossed his arms across his chest. "Besides, that's not even what I was saying. What I was saying is that you don't know how to cope. I mean, when we first met, when you first came to Wammy's, you distanced yourself from everyone. I don't know what happened to you and how you came to be at Wammy's, but it all boils down to losing your family, right? You were angry all the time. You didn't have anyone you could call a friend." Mello sat back down again, now solemn. Matt felt slightly guilty for bringing up the blonde's past. It was always a sensitive subject, and Matt had a black eye for trying to mention it back in Wammy's. Continuing, the green-eyed male absently played the goggles hanging around his neck. "And when L died, you ran away. You call it getting revenge and doing things your own way but...that wasn't really it, was it? You _ran_, Mel. You were scared of losing more things that were important to you...so you ran."

Mello, not being one to accept someone openly criticizing everything he did, slammed his hand down on the table. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Who are you to talk about all of that stuff? What could you possibly know about me?" Icy blue eyes narrowed dangerously, challenging Matt to come up with a half decent answer. Sighing, Matt rolled him eyes. "What do you think I did?" He tried to come off casual, but he was never very confident in his acting skills. Rubbing his fingers over the plastic of his goggles, he lowered his voice. "Listen, all I'm saying is that I'm here to make sure you're okay." Mello, at a loss for words, ran a hand through his hair. "Uh well...thanks, I guess? Let me ask, how do you plan to 'make sure I'll be okay'?" Matt's eyes took on a mischievous gleam and a smirk formed on his face. "I have my ways."

When Mello opened his mouth to question the redhead, the doorbell rang. Matt's smirk grew wider. "You may wanna get that." Curiosity burning, Mello walked to the front door and opened the door. There, a young woman in her mid twenties stood on his doorstep. "Mello, I presume?" Obvious shock and suspicion crossed his face. "Who the fuck are you?" The woman did not seemed surprised at the blonde's response and smiled at him. "I'm Alice. A friend, of sorts."

_**A/N: And there you go! Again I apologize for the lateness of this update.**_

_**As a side note, Alice is from my previous fic Numbered Days, but she is not the same person. Similar personality and same looks, but her character isn't the same. **_

_**Thanks for reading! Please review!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. **_

_**A/N: Thank you for reading Just Enough Time! I hope you all enjoy it! For Matt, I depict him with red hair and green eyes, despite what his official hair/eye colors are. Again, thank you for reading. **_

_**This chapter may not be very good and/or choppy. I wrote this in a rush.**_

_**Just Enough Time**_

_**Chapter Six**_

Mello stood at the door, gaping at this strange woman. Who did she think she was, giving him vague answers like that? Masking his surprise and confusion with anger, the blonde crossed his arms over his chest. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alice looked at him curiously, the pointed past him. "Well I'm not going to explain myself on your doorstep. Mind letting me in?" Without waiting for a response, she passed Mello and walked into the house. Mello, again, was surprised by this stranger's nerve. Who the hell was she?

Slamming the door not too quietly, Mello led the way back into the kitchen. "This way." He could hear the woman following behind him, her light steps contrasting to his heavy ones. "Sit." He pointed to the seat next to Matt as he stood in the center of the room. Mello tossed a glare over at the gamer, who merely sat quietly, waiting for whatever he had planned to unravel. Alice's sharp tone interrupted their glaring match. "I'm not a dog you know." Alice, as though challenging him, stood across from Mello, with the table between them.

Growing aggravated with the woman's unpredictable behavior, Mello took a bar of chocolate from one of the cabinets and snapped it irritably. "Well, who exactly are you, Alice?" He said her name as though it were venom on this tongue. Alice clicked her tongue with a smirk on her face. She knew she was irritating the blonde, which gave her all the more reason to do so more. Her tone was mocking and smug. "Like I said, I'm a friend." Mello growled at her, which only cause Alice to roll her eyes. "Such a drama queen. Sheesh." Matt outwardly laughed at their scuffle, which only caused Mello's eyes to narrow in impatience. She looked up at him, brown eyes meeting blue. "In the simplest of terms, I am a friend of Matt, although we both know him as Mail Jeevas."

_Okay, now this only pisses me off more. _"How the fuck do you know him? Let alone know his real name?" Alice smirked slightly larger. "He was right; you really do have a sharp mouth. Okay, I guess I'll be honest with you. No point in playing games, right? Okay. I grew up in Wammy's, just as you and Matt had. I was nowhere near the top, so I'm not surprised you don't remember me. My alias back then was Alive. Matt and I were close before you arrived at Wammy's. Well, as close as someone could be with Matt back then. Anyway, when you arrived, Matt hung out with you a lot more than he did with me. Anyway, when I turned 18, I left Wammy's. I had no intention of being the next L, and I've always preferred a quiet life. So I moved out here. New name, new life. Although, I couldn't hide my past completely. Around a year ago, Matt showed up on my doorstep. Literally. The guy had practically no money; all he had were a bagful of electronics and the clothes on his back." She gave a small smile at the memory, but it soon fell away into an icy glare directed at Mello. "He told me about you. Said that you left Wammy's to catch Kira. He wanted to find you, but he needed to get of the Wammy's, so he found me. Someone he knew he could trust. He stayed here with me for a while…and then one day. Poof. He was gone. No explanation. All of a sudden, he just vanished. All of his stuff was gone too. He only left a note." Alice reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a worn-out piece of paper. She placed it on the table so Mello could read it. In Matt's sloppy handwriting were two words. "Sorry. Thanks." Matt himself glanced at the paper and couldn't help the sentimental smile that formed on his face. "You still kept it…" He shook his head in disbelief and smiled at the woman he once called a friend.

Mello looked up at her curiously. "But what does this have anything to do with why you're here?" Alice looked at Mello sadly. "A few weeks ago, I got a call from him. I was overjoyed when he called, really. I thought something horrible had happened to him or something, so hearing from him put me at ease…but…he told me that…" She swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. "He told me he was going to die soon. I tried to get him to explain what he meant, but he said he didn't have much time. He told me that in a few weeks, someone would be moving into this house," she motioned to the walls of the room, "and that I should look out for them. When I asked him who…well, he sent me a picture from his cellphone." Alice pulled out her purple mobile from her pant pocket and opened the picture in question. The picture was a candid photo of Mello, staring intently at a monitor. When the hell Matt took it was a mystery to Mello. Snapping the phone shut and returning it to her pocket, Alice smiled sadly. God, Mello didn't know which look he hated more: the cocky look or the sad, pitiful stare she was giving him.

Directing her attention to the table, Alice spoke again. "You know, when he was staying with me, Matt was always cheerful. He was lovely really…unless he thought that no one could see him." Mello's eyebrow quirked up in surprise, both at her words and at Matt's sudden leap from his chair. He seemed stiff, nervous even. He walked over quickly to Alice and tried to put his hand over her mouth to silence her. Of course, he couldn't muffle her voice. He was a ghost, and sure, he could knock over stuff and smoke and whatnot, but he could not interact with human beings very well. Alice continued, oblivious to Matt's desperate attempts to shut her up. "I saw him once…he looked sad…" She paused and looked up at Mello. "You look sad. Are you okay? And don't just say you are, because I know what that means…looking sad when you think no one can see you." Mello looked at her, confused. "But I'm not-" Alice cut him off. "Yes you are. Your eyes…they look…sad." Matt, whose back was to Mello, hesitantly looked over his shoulder to look at the blonde's face. True to Alice's word, although Mello's face was showing indifference, his eyes were sad. It surprised Matt to say the least.

Mello, unable to look at Matt, looked away to stare aimlessly at the wall. "Why are you telling me this? Matt told you just to keep an eye on me, right? So why tell me all this?" Alice walked towards Mello, a smile on her face. Not a sad smile, or a cocky smile, but just a simple, plain smile. "Listen, Mello, I loved Matt like a brother. I would like to say I knew him inside and out. But whenever it came to you, he wasn't the Matt I knew. He was…happy with you. When he came to stay with me, he was so hopeless and broken. But when he called me…he sounded content. Like he was okay with dying…as if he didn't mind it at all…He was with you, wasn't he? Helping you catch Kira." It wasn't an accusation, just a simple statement. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that Matt valued you more than he did himself. He died for you, and from what it sounded like…he would do it a thousand times over again. I guess I just feel that, even though Matt never told you himself, that you had the right to know." Mello looked over to Alice. "Know what?" (At this point, Matt was already running out of the room, about halfway across the room, when Alice spoke.) "He loved you Mello."

_**A/N: Thank you for reading! Oh gosh, this was kinda hard to write. Hahaha. **_

_**YES I DID COPY SOME OF THE DIALOUGE FROM BBC'S SHERLOCK. I love Molly Hooper, and I felt like the "sad" part fit. **_

_**Sorry if this is really choppy…I'm thinking there will be one or two more chapters. **_

_**Thank you for reading! Reviews are much appreciated!**_


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